Miri Cyanne
Miri Cyanne (Actress-Malissa Williams) A 16-year-old sophomore at East Valley Academy. Miri is the freckle-faced girl next door, (Although she often covers them with makeup). She portrays herself as a cool geek. Miri is shy at times, open-minded, strong willed, she is extrovert but in her own eloquently straightforward way. She is a member of the new high school show choir team. Her best friend is Erin O'Byrne, whom she is seen with or talking about in nearly every scene she is present in. Her dad often sends her YouTube videos as she goes about her day, though she is interested in them she appears annoyed the first time she mentions it to Savannah. Very confident in herself, Miri states to Savannah when asking about a possible tryout for show choir "if you want something you have to go for it". Miri is first seen sitting at the back of Mrs. Hialeah's class next to Erin in the first episode "Superiority of the High and Mighty Kind-ness". Miri speaks her first line when she's seen getting dropped off and coming into the school doors while having a discussion with Erin about student teacher Dillon teaching their class. Furthermore in her first dialogue scene Miri reminds Erin of the torturous student teacher Jarrod teaching their class the last time as the two walk down the hallway they arrive at their lockers where Miri spays perfume to scent the locker area where they're located next to Hayley. Miri is next seen in the following episode "Friends, Family, and Freeloaders" sitting by her bestie Erin, when she turns around in class to tell Savannah "Oh yeah we can all meet up at Starkie's to get those tickets, my boyfriend wants to go." Savannah in a very mean way smiles,then throws her arm up mocking Miri and says nothing to slough Miri off. Miri shows herself as a geek following popular girl Savannah Swanson, when she persistently invades her bubble in the high school gym, trying to introduce herself with an ulterior motive of bridging the former friendship between her BFF Erin and Savannah. Portraying a geek seemed to be the only way Miri and ultimately Erin could get any sort of attention from Savannah. Very confident in herself Miri states "if you want something you have to go for it". However she plays as though she is shy, geeky, and unsure of herself to get early audition information out of teachers pet Savannah and then Sydney and Teagan while trying to come inside Ms.Fritz class for a new show choir group so she and BFF Erin can join. Miri and Erin successfully carry out this choir information ploy on Savannah to play her a fool. In the third episode "Friends, Family, and Freeloaders, Part 2", East Valley High’s new madrigal show choir team holds first time auditions. Counselors have placed an in school only restraining order between Miri’s best friend Erin and Savannah. Erin mentions to her best friend Miri that the counselors shouldn’t restrict her from participating if Savannah makes the team due to such a large turnout and need for a large choir team. Miri and Erin have a phone conversation where Londyn wants to get in on the action deliberately trying to find ways to get personal with Savannah, Sydney, Teagan and their teachers pet circle inside Ms.Fritz classroom about a show-choir audition. Miri proposed a plan B to Erin that there has to be signups posted and that they should talk to Ms.Fritz with the show-choir audition signups to be revealed soon. While Miri and Erin are wrapping up their call Londyn calls Erin knowing she and Miri are looking for all the skill-sets in the auditions and that she knows what Fritz and judge Jefferies are looking for to add to Erin's plan C. Later at the High school Gym Miri and Melody surprise Savannah and follow her around for information. Miri whose in Savannah's 4th hour class, tells Savannah she's heard her humming and thinks she has a great ex-fact-o voice to butter her up for show-choir information. Savannah is again distracted by guys, like Erin states to Miri on the phone, and eventually Miri gets Savannah's phone number to text her after school later, and is told not to call her. Miri sings a solo during the auditions leading up to earning a spot on the eventual madrigal show choir team. Miri along with Erin have a long conversation with Ms.Lara Camille about cute and creepy guys. Later Ms.Camille seems overly distracted on the whereabouts of Miri when she asks Erin. Camille goes on to tell Erin she had this great gossip boy website for Miri when Erin tells her Miri is with Ms.Fritz for a solo rehearsal instead of being in Ms.Camille's class. Character Background Although it is never mentioned in any episodes, Miri's backstory was to contain information that she lives near St. Louis with her parents in a three bedroom home located in nearby Pontoon Beach, Illinois. Malissa Williams who played Miri had a very unique pale skin that was a challenge to screen test and discover which wardrobe colors looked more girlish and flattering with her skin tone. This was not an easy task with many actors, as the schedule was stretched so thin, screen tests, ahead of taping were not permitted or rarely done outside of a few of the lead actors. For wardrobe, Malissa Williams was asked to bring in a dress she owned that was baby pink colored with tiny lavender patterns to perfectly match with her milky pale complexion skin tones and freckles. She used this dress in multiple episodes and the patterns were similar to the flowery patterns used by the character Miri from Star Trek, where the character was inspired from. The character Miri Cyanne was meant to complement her bestie Erin for both having their good looks but also smarts and offbeat way about carrying out a masterful adolescent agenda on occasion together. Malissa Williams was written to play the role of Miri by Co-creator/writer Bryan Kreutz and eventually would show the school she wasn't a follower or pleases and thank you's nerd, but would ultimately be wearing a gorgeous bombshell dress and land one of the hottest guys as her boyfriend in the end like Erin to one-up Savannah and Sydney. This is a fast reminder that like the character actress she shared in appearance and persona so similarly to in that of Kim Darby, who played Star Trek's Miri; Malissa as Miri instantly endears herself to viewers. What’s more, this hints at the deeper theme here meant to play out for Miri in the series: on Erin's back porch and in future un-produced scripts Miri would have an exploration like Erin of the relationships between adolescents and adults to further support Dillon and Landon's analysis into the teacher student relationships, but with a romantic one for each girl. Miri who seemingly has second thoughts about posting a video online about Savannah asks Erin again if they should. Erin immediately tells Miri "Of course, it will show how pathetic she is!" Erin goes on to say "Savannah dressed like a stripper to impress that guy who's totally into me (Erin) and still even after that he's still willing to cheat on her." Miri tells Erin she's right and guesses the suspension just wasn't enough and she still needs some slapping down. Evident of her growing into womanhood, Erin gives a very facetious and reassuring nod to Miri in supporting this manipulative behavior to steal a man. This scene is meant to set up the next episode of the girls dressing less to impress guys, that was not produced due to the series being canceled. Moreover this clearly shows Erin and Miri are willing to exploit Savannah to get to one of her popular top notch guys, who only Miri and Erin know he's already secretly in love with Erin and is willing to cheat on Savannah to go all the way with Savannah's rival. Miri like Erin, was also intended to have a slightly older sister figure who looked like her and gave advice on guys, college and life. An additional re-write was intended to add Miri's sister named Desirea set to be played by actress Melissa Katich to the 8th episode "Gone, But Not Forgotten" and play out into the 9th and final episode "All Good Things Must Come to an End". With the series being canceled already and the production schedule sped up to finalization, the re-write and addition of Miri's older sister couldn't happen. The re-write would have included more additions to Erin and Miri's conversation about and the aftermath reaction of their manipulating Savannah with the online video to steal her guy and couple him with Erin along with Miri getting a nose ring, much to the dismay of her older sister. Although early production ideas called for more impending supporting characters to surround the lead actresses for characters Savannah, Erin, and Sydney; Miri and Thea are the two most prominent supporting high school student characters in the series for most of its run. By design, Miri was always going to be at least tagging along with Erin in practically every scene, only being outdone by Hayley who is considered a series regular, but not in the opening title theme as such and often only with Erin or other school characters part of the time. Quote Miri's quote to her best friend Erin, after Savannah leaves speaking with Miri when she see's Erin coming up the stairs in the wings of the show choir auditorium. Miri is bragging a bit about getting information from the proverbial horses mouth about the secretive Show Choir only the popular girls know about from music teacher Ms.Fritz. "I had the audacity to just walk up to her (Savannah). I mean I didn't even have to write or drag any information out of her. I just had to play it off like I wanted to be in show choir so bad, but I didn't know if I would make it. She gave me the time, the place, costume details, there's even fees and money involved!"